Penn State defensive lineman Jordan Hill (47) and linebacker Gerald Hodges (6) have been two of the Lions' best defensive players along with linebacker Michael Mauti. Lions head coach Bill O'Brien believes the three players are among the best at their respective positions in the nation.

Don't forget about Penn State senior linebackers Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges and senior defensive tackle Jordan Hill. Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien considers those three players among the very best at their respective positions in the Big Ten Conference and beyond.

Name a significant defensive award (or an All-American team) and Mauti, Hodges and Hill deserve to be considered for it, O'Brien said Tuesday, as his 4-2 Nittany Lions continued preparations for Saturday's road game with 4-2 Iowa.

Mauti and Hodges are 1-2 on the team in tackles -- with 57 and 50, respectively -- and both players are on the contender list for the Butkus Award, presented to the nation's top linebacker.

Hill, a stalwart nose tackle, was a preseason candidate for the Outland Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award. The Steel-High graduate is PSU's leading tackler among defensive linemen with 28 and he also has an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

"Let me just say first off, I don't think any of these guys here care about individual awards,'' said O'Brien, asked about the importance of individual awards considering the Lions can't quality for a postseason game.

"But I do think that there's a certain amount of ridiculousness that a guy like Mike Mauti or Gerald Hodges or Jordan Hill or, you know, those three guys, defensively, aren't on … I don't even know the awards, guys.

"You'd have to sit down and explain to me the awards. But if there's a linebacker [or] defensive lineman award, whatever the awards are, I would imagine … I can't imagine that there's that many linebackers or defensive linemen in the country better than those guys, you know.